Óscar Tabárez said his Uruguay side had been beaten by the best player at the World Cup after James Rodríguez’s goals took Colombia through to the quarter-finals for the first time. On a night expected to be dominated by talk of the absent Luis Suárez, it was the 22-year-old Monaco player who demanded attention. Tabárez bracketed him with Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona and Suárez in terms of talent.

Tabárez said: “They do things because they have certain gifts that make them special. I believe from what I’ve seen he’s the best player in the World Cup. I’m not exaggerating. We tried to limit him a lot today but he kept coming and made his presence felt. Hopefully he will continue to move on because he’s very young and football needs players with these characteristics.”

Rodríguez, after taking his tally to five goals in four games, the first a stunning volley that is a contender for the goal of the tournament, said their quarter-final against the hosts Brazil would be a “beautiful match”. “We’re very happy because we’re making history. As a younger man I always wanted to be here. It is a dream. We want to do even more because this is a team that wants to win a lot.”

The triumphant Colombia coach, José Pékerman, said Rodríguez was an “extraordinary talent” but also paid tribute to his team-mates. “What is amazing is that he has no problem in taking responsibility. Football forces you to deal with a lot of situations and we are faced with a player who has the technical ability to be a top player at a world level.”

Tabárez admitted that Uruguay had missed Suárez, banned for four months and nine international matches after biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini, but denied the saga had been a distraction. “Among the things we discussed before the match, we all knew about what happened but we had to stop thinking about it,” said Tabárez, who confirmed he was in talks over a new contract. “We said we should only bring out the positive things that could come out of this situation.”